Adopting from Armenia: Factsheet, Page 3
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR ADOPTION IN ARMENIA :
The application for adoption can be filed either in the United States or Armenia. To start an application in the United States the following documents should be presented for authentication to the Armenian Consulates in Washington, D.C., or Beverly Hills, California, by registered mail at the addresses listed in the “ Embassy and Consulates in the United States” section, below:
- Copy of the adoptive parents' birth certificates;
- Copy of the adoptive parents' US passports;
- Copy of the adoptive parents' marriage certificate where applicable. If applicant is divorced or widowed, please provide a copy of the divorce decree or spouse's death certificate;
- Family photos;
- Full medical evaluation report for adoptive parents from a U.S. doctor;
- Police report for adoptive parents;
- INS approval: Form I-171H;
- Tax returns for the last three years;
- Home Study; report conducted by licensed agent in U.S. ;
- Home Study Agency or Social Worker's License;
- Letters of reference from three individuals in the U.S. who know the adoptive parents;
- Reference letter from pastor or community leader;
- Letter to Prime Minister of Republic of Armenia stating adoptive parents' intention to adopt a child from Armenia. The Armenian government wants to see that the prospective adoptive parents have some connection to Armenian culture. This can include an extended stay in the country or Armenian heritage on at least one side of the family.
The above documents must be submitted together as one package and legalized with an apostille (simplified certification stamp) by your state's Secretary of State (see below).
All documents must be translated into Eastern Armenian.
Only the Consulates General of the Republic of Armenia are authorized to authenticate your application in the United States.
AUTHENTICATING U.S. DOCUMENTS TO BE USED ABROAD: All U.S. documents submitted to the Armenian government/court must be authenticated. Armenia is a party to the Hague Legalization Convention. Generally, U.S. civil records, such as birth, death, and marriage certificates, must bear the seal of the issuing office and an apostille must be affixed by the state's Secretary of State. An apostille is a special seal certifying that a document is a true copy of an original). Documents must be apostilled in the state where they are issued. Tax returns, medical reports and police clearances should likewise be authenticated. Prospective adoptive parents should contact the Secretary of State of the state where documents originated from for instructions and fees for authenticating documents.
Documents issued by a federal agency must be authenticated by the U.S. Department of State Authentications Office. Their address is Authentications Office, Department of State, 518 23rd St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20520, (202) 647-5002. Fee: $6.00. For additional information, call the Federal Information Center : 1-800-688-9889, and choose option 6 after you press 1 for touch tone phones. Walk-in service is available from the Authentications Office from 7:30 a.m. to 11 am Monday-Friday, except holidays and is limited to 15 documents per person per day (documents can be multiple pages). Processing time for authentication requests sent by mail is 5 working days or less.
Please visit our Web site at travel.state.gov for additional information about authentication procedures .
Credits: U.S. Department of State
